Here’s how to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine at Publix and Winn-Dixie in Manatee County
The opportunity for seniors to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, is expanding in Manatee County with the addition of some Publix and Winn-Dixie pharmacies receiving the vaccines.
Appointments will be required to receive free vaccinations at local Publix and Winn-Dixie pharmacies, Websites are available to schedule the appointments and you will then be notified when and where to go in Manatee County. Proof of Florida residency is required for all vaccines.
You can visit publix.com/covid-vaccine/florida.com. According to their website, there were 86 appointments still available at 17 Publix stores in Manatee County, as of Wednesday morning, but that number dropped to 24 in a matter of minutes.
It is advised that if you have had antibody treatment for COVID-19 that you wait at least 90 days before scheduling a vaccine. It also is recommended that if you’ve received any other vaccines that you wait at least two weeks.
According to the Winn-Dixie website at winndixie.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine, the stores at 5802 14th St. W., Bradenton, and 5400 Fruitville Road in Sarasota are offering vaccine appointments.
Appointments for seniors over the age of 65 must be done online and that can be a problem for some seniors who have never had a computer. Family members and friends are encouraged to help seniors through the process of scheduling and setting up emails for notifications.
Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in select areas of the state will begin offering vaccine appointments beginning Friday, but there has been no announcement that stores in Manatee County are among the locations at this time.
However, if and when that happens, seniors will need to set up free online accounts with the stores in order to schedule an appointment.
You can visit walmart.com or samsclub.com to set up those free accounts ahead of any local announcements on availability. You will need to verify your eligibility through the state’s health department website beforehand at floridahealthcovid19.gov.
All vaccinations are free, though some businesses may charge an administration fee. Health insurance companies will pay those fees, and if uninsured, the fees will be paid by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.
The vaccinations at the Publix and Winn-Dixie stories should more than double the number of people receiving shots in Manatee County each week. The vaccines are being provided by the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
Today through Friday, about 1,700 shots are being delivered each day at Tom Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd. after the county health department received 5,100 vaccines. Another 1,000 shots will be given by MCR Health at the Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd St. E., starting Wednesday.
Registering for an appointment through the county’s vaccinations standby pool can be done by going to vax.mymanatee.org.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 10:26 AM.